Improvement in car-roofs



2 Sheets-Sheet Z.

J. M. AYER. CAR-ROOF.

Noflyoolga-EU.. v Patented J'u1y18,1876.

" @QM/f I ".FETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPMER, WASHINGTON. D` C.

-rrnin STATES JOHN M. AYER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-ROOFS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l 80,058. dated July 1S., 1876; application filed April 6, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN M. AYER, of Ohicago, in the county of Oook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Roofs for Railway-Cars; and I do hereby declare that the following'is afull, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it app'ertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, ,which form a part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to provide y cars and other structures with a much lighter roof than is commonly used, which roof shall, at the saine time, act as a lion-conductor of heat, and be absolutely impervious to moisture under all circumstances, no leakage arising in consequence of expansion or contraction from heat, cold, or other causes, no matter how suddenly or with what degree ot' violence such expansion or contraction may take place; and it consists in providing` such roof with a lining ot' india-rubber or the material known as rubber packing, to be placed between the internal lining and external covering of the roof, as hereinafter more fully described.

rIhe accompanying drawings show the application of my invention to railway-cars only, but I do not confine myself to this, as it is equally applicable to the roofs of houses, carriages, Sto., and the decks of vessels.

For decks'of vessels, or cabin-roofs, indiarubber or the rubber packing is laid on boards, metal, or other suitable material, and is fastened in any suitable way by cement, tacks, or otherwise. The rubber or packing -may have cloth or duck on one or both sides. The upper layer may then be painted. with mineral paint, sanded, or coated with any other suitable material, t-he object being to preserve the duck or decking, and make a good walking-surface.

I prefer, in laying the rubber, that it be about cne-thirty-second or one-twenty-fourth4 of an inch in thickness, the duck about the same, or a little heavier; but I do not limit myself to any thicknesal vin either. I also prefer that the duck be made with the rubber, as it is then a part of it, and thus obviate the necessity of first laying one separately and covering it with the other.

Boards may be laid over the rubber and duck, it' desired.

Neither do I wish to limit myself' to its application to roofs and decks only, for I apply my invention likewise to refrigerator-cars and other refrigerators, which shall be wholly inclosed in this manner, with or without thel external board cover-ine".

Hitherto it has been customary to cover cars with double boards, or boards and metal in combination; but this method is by no means as satisfactory in its results as mine of employing india-rubber or rubber packing as a lining, the rubber or packing being much lighter, a non-conductor ot' heat, and non-oxidizable when exposed to the action of the air or weather. sudden and violent concussions, or the perpetual pounding and jarring which are inseparable from the moving` of cars, it is far preferable to meta-l, inasmuch as there are no seams to open, and hence no joints to loosen or rivets to displace. It issuperioi', also, to wood, as the latter, like metal, conducts heat, though in a less degree, and cannot be so constructed as to remain water-tight for any considerable length of time.

Under my root', in consequence of the valuable properties of india-rubber as a non-conductor ot' heat, together with my peculiar method (hereinafter described) of constructing said roof, fruit,.tish, grain, flour, the., may be transported long distances without suffering injury lrom changes of temperature, thus obvia-ting much loss to shippers and others. Hence my intention to construct refrigeratorcars in which my principle shall beapplied to the sides, ends, and floors, as well as to the roofs.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l-is aplan view ot' the upper surface of the car-roof without the walking-plan k, and with a 'small portion broken away to show the rub-ber coating below. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the interior. surface. Fig. 3 is an end l view. Fig. et is a vertical transverse section.

A represents the exterior covering, while B represents the interior layer of boards, and C represents the intermediate water-proof non- Moreover, when subjected tol conducting n'iaterial, or lining of india-rubber, or rubber packing, as it is termed, which may be fastened to the interna-l layer B by a coating of shellac or other cement, to which it will adhere, or by means of tacks, nails, or the like.

The rubber coating for each car consists of two strips or sheets, each about as long as the car and somewhat more than half the width thereof, the two parts lapping each other along the center. Thus thereare no transverse joints or seams. t

'Of course, if convenient, the rubber may be in one piece or sheet. If in two pieces, but not broad enough to lap, a separate strip of the same material may be laid over the seam along the center ofthe car.`

The internal layer B may be made of such strength as to render it capable of sustaining sufficient weight to enable me to dispense with the external covering A, said layer B having upon its upper surface thc rubber coating C, as before described, which, in that case, would form the outermost surface of the' roof'. Moreover, it would not in the least be departing from the spirit of my invention if the interior `lining B were dispensed with wholly, and the non-conducting, impervious material fastened to the under surface ot' the external covering A. In general, however, I, prefer to employ all three layers; and I lind that some advantage might be secured, especially in the way of excluding heat, byhaving a space or airchamber between the ont-er covering A and the impervious coating C. This air-chamber should be provided with suitable openings at the sides, to secure free ventilation. It might be desirable, in somt` eases, to have openings in the air-chamber at the ends as well as the sides, or at the ends only, and also into the interior ot' the car. Where no air-chamber is employed, it may be lound advantageous, in certain cases, to fasten the rubber lining to both the upper and lower layer, by means of cement or otherwise.

By referring to the drawings it will be seen that the boards ot' the roof lie in diagonal directions. In the external covering the boards extend diagonally from the edges to the center ofthe root', Where they form acute angles; and the internal layer is formed in the same way as the external covering, the boards, however, lying in the opposite direction, and forming nearly, or quite, right angles with those ofthe external covering; but I do Ilot conlne myself to this form of construction. The

boards ot' either or both divisions of the roof may be laid as shown, or longitudinally, or laterally; and they may be straight, as in the drawings, or bent to conform to a curved roof, such as cars often have, without deparling in any degree from the spirit of my invention, so long as they are employed in combination with a layer ot' india-rubber or the material termed rubber packing. The lower boards B, in particular, since they are covered by the rubber or packing, may be of common lumber, and may extend lengthwise with the car. In this manner the cost of construct-ion is lessened, and fewer cross-supports are needed.

D represents safeguards on top of the car, which may consist ot a metallic or wooden bar or railing, arranged in the manner shown, or else of a plank, or an'eqnivalent of any material, secured upon its edge, and having slots or openings at proper intervals along the bottom, through which water may run oli'. This safeguard is intended principally as a protection, to prevent people from falling ott' the car.

D represents safeguards under the edge ot' the roof', at therendsvofthe car, which safe guards are for the purpose of 'affording a se-V curity against a persons reaching the track in the event ot' his falling while passing from one car to another.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- l. The combination of an external covering, internal lining, and intermediate coating of india-rubber or the material termed rubber packing, substantially as and for the purpose described. V

2. The combination of the internal lining B and india-rubber or the materia-l termed rnbber packing C, substantially as described.

`3.?The combination of the india-rubber or rubber packing' and the outer covering A, substantially as described. l

4. The combination of an outer covering, internal lining, water-proof non-conducting material, and `an air-chamber, such air-chamber lying between the outer covering and water-proof material, and having openings, the whole being constructed in the manner and for the purpose described. y

t In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I afx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN M. AYER. Witnesses:

CASPER F. SEARCH, G. M. AYER. 

